Data Shows Varying Housing Costs for Metro Areas

View updated housing data for select metro areas.

At $1,606, the Anaheim-Santa Ana, Calif., metro area had some of the highest median monthly housing costs in 2011. FlickrCC/Trader Chris

If you’re living in California, expect to spend a sizable chunk of your income on housing.

That’s one of the many findings from the Census Bureau’s American Housing Survey, conducted biennially to assess housing needs, conditions and costs. The bureau published profiles this morning for 29 metro areas detailing a variety of characteristics pulled from the most recent 2011 survey.

One of the more revealing measures is monthly housing costs (including utilities and real estate taxes) as a percentage of family income.

Nationally, housing costs accounted for a quarter of current income in 2011, up slightly from 24 percent in 2009. The median monthly housing cost was $927, according to the survey.

Along with the national survey, the Census Bureau published data for a supplemental sample of housing units in 29 metro areas. The following table lists selected housing costs for metro areas with published data. Figures shown are for all occupied units.

Metro Area

Median monthly housing cost as % of current income

Median monthly housing costs

Median Monthly Water Costs

Median Monthly Trash Costs

Total Occupied Units

Pittsburgh, PA

21

$743

$50

$16

992,600

Buffalo-Niagara Falls, NY

23

$748

$23

$17

469,800

Birmingham-Hoover, AL

21

$776

$40

$13

419,500

Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, OH

24

$798

$38

$17

860,400

New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, LA

26

$838

$29

$25

463,000

Indianapolis-Carmel, IN

22

$855

$40

$20

676,700

Memphis, TN-MS-AR

28

$856

$25

$19

480,600

St. Louis, MO-IL

21

$863

$39

$18

1,115,200

Cincinnati-Middletown, OH-KY-IN

22

$880

$42

$20

815,700

Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI

25

$893

$50

$27

627,800

Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord, NC-SC

23

$899

$40

$21

665,900

Kansas City, MO-KS

23

$923

$40

$19

793,700

Columbus, OH

25

$934

$43

$20

684,000

Providence, RI

29

$998

$37

$22

522,100

Fort Worth-Arlington, TX

25

$1,015

$60

$58

789,300

Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ

27

$1,026

$50

$30

1,510,100

Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX

25

$1,057

$50

$50

1,545,500

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA

27

$1,075

$40

$18

1,902,500

Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton, OR-WA

26

$1,080

$58

$26

858,500

Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC

27

$1,126

$52

$30

630,500

Denver, CO

25

$1,130

$50

$20

983,900

Sacramento--Arden-Arcade--Roseville, CA

29

$1,181

$55

$35

783,700

Riverside-San Bernadino-Ontario, CA

32

$1,242

$57

$25

1,286,900

Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA

35

$1,294

$50

$30

3,227,000

San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos

31

$1,424

$75

$27

1,093,600

Oakland-Fremont-Hayward, CA

29

$1,501

$50

$30

907,200

Anaheim-Santa Ana, CA

31

$1,606

$40

$21

983,300

San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA

28

$1,647

$50

$28

720,100

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA

29

$1,800

$50

$30

624,100

NOTE: The percentages reported do not consider individuals reporting no cash rent or not earning any income. Current income is defined as the total income of the family and any primary individuals over the past year. It is not collected for every household member.

For more detailed data, including data for additional metro areas from prior surveys, please refer to the Excel files posted here.